Tag Archives: Enemies To Lovers

Road-Tripped (Ad Agency # 1)

By Nicole Archer

Synopsis

What’s worse than driving across country in a phallic-shaped RV with a coworker you hate? Falling in love with them.

Copywriter Callie Murphy has a bad attitude, a vicious tongue, and a serious aversion to Shimura Advertising’s resident manwhore, Walker Rhodes. Know where he can stick his good looks and Southern charm? She can think of a few creative places. Avoiding him wouldn’t be a problem, except her boss threatens to fire her if she doesn’t go along with him on their RV client’s cross-country tour.

Walker is sick of his job, tired of women, and in a big old creative rut. The upcoming client road trip is just what he needs to shake things up and rediscover his lost passion. But his plans go south when his partner drops out at the last minute, and Callie, the foul-mouthed tiny terror, takes her place. Unless he can find a way to thaw his icy coworker, he’s looking at two months of pure hell.

Review

I am clearly in the minority here because I did not enjoy ROAD-TRIPPED like so many others have.

I wasn’t a fan of either Walker or Callie, who both frustrated me beyond belief. For almost the entire story, one of them would be moody and unpleasant while the other tried to win them over, and every time they were finally in a good place, some comment would send them spiraling back into enemy territory. Don’t even get me started on Walker taking a photo of a half-naked Callie while she was asleep (before they became friends and lovers) and then lying to her about it when he was caught. Or that he insulted and slut-shamed a female co-worker to her face AND in front of another co-worker.

I found the story hard to get through and not as funny as other reviewers had made it out to be, though there were a handful of good scenes which is why I’m giving this debut novel 2❤ instead of 1❤. ROAD-TRIPPED is told in dual POVs and ended with a HEA for Walker and Callie.

Road-Tripped (Ad Agency # 1)

My Rating:

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Ad Agency Series

Doppelbanger

By Heather M. Orgeron

Synopsis

Doppelbanger; A person who bangs someone solely because they look similar to another person they want to bang.

At thirty-five, Gina Bourque is still playing the field. If he’s single, in his early twenties with dark hair and brooding eyes, there’s a damn good chance you’ll find him in her little black book.

Jeffrey Ryan never imagined that at nearly forty he’d find himself widowed and a single dad. But here he is—stumbling through this thing called life with two impressionable daughters watching his every move.

When Gina and Jeffrey meet while cruising the Caribbean, sparks fly and not in a good way. He’s too old. Too blond. Too stiff. Yet she’s still drawn to him like a moth to a flame. She’s too vulgar. Too sassy. Too wild. But she ignites something inside of him he can’t ignore.

We all know what happens when you play with fire. . . someone’s bound to get burned.

Review

I quite enjoyed DOPPELBANGER, which is the second book from Heather M. Orgeron that I’ve read.

“You burst into our lives like a bomb, when our world needed nothing more than to be shaken up.”

I liked Gina, who has a heart of gold but a mouth that gets her in a lot of trouble. I loved, loved, loved all the kids. Gina’s nephews⏤Landon, Lake and Kyle⏤were a handful and hilarious. Jeffrey’s daughters⏤Evangeline and Willow⏤were feisty and adorable. I loved the scene were Gina and Jeffrey meet, which was awkward and hilarious at the same time.

Unfortunately, Jeffrey wasn’t as likable. Some of the things he said to Gina were so hurtful and some were downright unforgivable. It was so disappointing to see a man—who loves his daughters and loved his wife—treat women so badly. That being said, he was a wonderful father to his two girls, and he did redeem himself in the end, but I still spent most of the book wishing I could kick him in the balls.

DOPPELBANGER is told in dual POVs and, while it has a connection to BOOMERANGERS, you don’t need to read that book to enjoy this one. DOPPELBANGER was very funny, but as with the previous book, some of the humor did feel forced. DOPPELBANGER comes with not one, but two epilogues, both of which were lovely and sweet and perfect ways to end the book. But the extended epilogue—set twelve years in the future—was my favorite one for sure.

Doppelbanger

My Rating:

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Hothead (Irresistible # 4)

By Stella Rhys

Synopsis

He’s the hottest player in Major League Baseball, the most notorious playboy in all of Manhattan…
And my fake fiancé for the next three months.

I was drunk-dialing my ex the night I met him.

Six-three, sexy as sin and so incredibly rude I could smack the asshole smirk right off his face. Long story short, we got off to a bad start. But when the tabloids interpret our sparring as Drew Maddox “groveling” with a “mystery brunette,” his agent presents us both a proposal:

Shacking up as a couple this summer.

It’s an alleged “win-win.” I need to prove to my ex that I’m fine. Drew needs to prove to his team that he’s stable. Thanks to his on-field brawling and never-ending lady drama, Drew Maddox has suddenly found himself on the trade block – which means he needs a fast, easy way to show the team that he’s settled down.

Hence this fiance thing.

Our fights are real, our kisses are fake, and thanks to the nonstop heat between us, I’m starting to mix up all my signs. But whether it’s real or fake, there’s one thing I do know:

I’m already addicted.

Review

HOTHEAD is the first book I’ve read from Stella Rhys and, given how much I enjoyed it, it probably won’t be my last. The story was engaging and kept me turning the pages from beginning to end.

I really liked Evie. She was sweet and had a kind heart, but she could also dish out some attitude when the situation called for it. She was definitely too good for Mike, her douchebag of an ex-fiance. The only time she disappointed me was in one scene when she didn’t fight like I thought she should have. She just walked away from those who had hurt her and I felt like that didn’t give her the closure she needed and deserved.

I liked Drew as well, who was very blunt and honest about his opinions. I found it refreshing, even though it was sometimes hard for Evie to hear. He spent quite a bit of this book being an asshole, but when you learn how he’s been hurt and betrayed over the years, it’s no wonder he’s an asshole.

HOTHEAD is told in dual POVs and comes with a HEA for Drew and Evie. It could use some proofreading, as there were quite a few instances where a sentence was missing a word. While it’s part of a series, it can be read as a stand-alone. Though I will say that while reading, I did wish I’d known the histories of the other couples brought up in this book. HOTHEAD is book 4 in the Irresistible series, so maybe I’ll go back to the start to get better acquainted with everyone.

Hothead (Irresistible # 4)

My Rating:

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Irresistible Series

Sexy Jerk (Sexy Jerk World # 1)

By Kim Karr

Synopsis

My best friend is married.
Everyone I know is married. It doesn’t bother me. I like my life the way it is.

Since I’m single though, when my best friend and her husband finally decide to go on their dream honeymoon, she asks me to watch their three-year-old son.

Of course I say yes.

What my best friend neglects to tell me is that I won’t be babysitting alone.

Feeling Max might be too much for me to handle, her husband asks his only single friend to help.

Nick Carrington and I have met a couple of dozen times. I’ve never really given him a second thought—other than to say he’s kind of a jerk. Out loud. So he can hear. Sure, he’s tall, dark, and handsome. And yes, he has the best ass I’ve ever seen, and I mean ever seen quite literally. You see he mooned me at last year’s Fourth of July barbecue because, like I said, he’s a jerk.

He always has to be the life of the party.
He’s also arrogant.
Imposing.
Rich.
And a playboy.
I’d even go as far as to say he’s a manwhore.

Yet somehow before I know it, this manwhore and I are co-parenting. Living under the same roof. Eating meals together and yes, talking.

Don’t look at me like that—it’s not like I had a choice. Even though I knew every minute would be hell, I had to say yes.

But after two weeks what I didn’t expect is that I’d been wrong about him.
That under his smart-ass exterior, he’s quite charming.
That his arrogance is actually confidence.
And that the sight of his naked body would do really bad things to me.

So yes, I’ve misjudged him. And yes, I like him. Really like him. Although there are times I still think he’s a jerk…I now think he’s a sexy jerk.

And I want more of him.

The question is—does he want more of me?

Review

I’ve been struggling for days with what to rate SEXY JERK, and in the end I’ve decided to give it just 2❤️, because days after finishing the book, all I can think about are the issues I had with this story.

Character wise, I liked Nick, but I didn’t like Tess. She was irrational and very easy to anger and upset. Tess has hated Nick since the first time they met because he was a jerk, which makes no sense because we learn about their first meeting, and Nick was really nice. He asked if he could buy her a drink, she said yes, he went to get it, then her boyfriend comes over and takes her away. But somehow he’s a jerk? Personally, I think she’s a bitch for accepting a drink from another man when she has a boyfriend.

Speaking of jerk, I get that Nick is supposed to be a jerk (he’s not), but I got annoyed at how many times he was called one throughout this story. At my count, he was called a jerk twenty-two times.

There are two threesome scenes that didn’t work for me, and I’m wondering if they were added purely to increase the kink factor. The first scene was when Tess reminisces about her first sexual experience, which was with twin brothers when she was just seventeen. That scene came out of nowhere and really threw the story off. It seemed to make sense a few chapters later when Tess thinks to herself that Nick brings out her kinky side, a side she’s been suppressing since her time with the twins. The second scene involved their friends: Fiona, Ethan and Jace. Fiona and Ethan are happily married with a child, but one day they just decide they want to bring Jace into their bed. Why? Because he and Ethan used to share women in college, and since Ethan’s wife died, he’s been lonely and they don’t want him to feel lonely anymore. Again, it came out of nowhere, did not fit with the story and I thought it was weird and icky.

I like sex with my romance, but there was a lot of sex in this story. A lot. I started skimming through them because I had reached my limit and just wanted to get back to the story. Even the epilogue had a sex scene that spanned several pages.

There’s a suspense element that involved Nick’s biggest real estate rival, which I thought was promising. But after watching the suspense build throughout the story, it was anticlimactic to see it quickly tidied up in the epilogue. There was even another person close to Nick who was involved, but you never hear about him again once Nick realizes what the “double agent” has been doing. So even though the rival issue was resolved, it had an unfinished feel to it. Almost like the author hit a wall and just decided to throw on the ending.

SEXY JERK is told in dual POVs and does come with a HEA for Nick and Tess. While I didn’t enjoy this book, I would give this author another go, but I won’t be continuing on with this series.

Sexy Jerk (Sexy Jerk World # 1)

My Rating:

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Sexy Jerk World Series

Man Card (Man Hands # 2)

By Sarina Bowen & Tanya Eby

Synopsis

Nothing ventured, nothing banged.

Ash
I still don’t know how it happened. One minute I was arguing with my arrogant competitor—our usual trash-talk over who deserves the larger commission. But somehow I went from throwing down to kneeling down…
It can never happen again. I don’t even like Braht. He’s too slick. He’s a manipulating mansplaining party boy in preppy clothes.
So why can’t I get him out of my head?

Braht
There are two things I know without question.
One: Ash and I are destined for each other.
Two: never trust a man with a unibrow.
Ash is my missing my piece. She’s the sweet cream to my gourmet espresso. And nothing gets me going faster than her contempt for me. They don’t call her the Ashkicker for nothing.
Eventually I’ll win her over…if my past doesn’t ruin everything first.

Review

I really liked MAN CARD. It was a fun read from the very first page to the very last, and it was a great way to spend a few hours.

I liked Ash. She’s determined, she gives as good as she gets, and she’s a great friend to her two besties: Brynn and Sadie. But I can’t say much more about Ash because in my opinion, Braht stole the show. I loved his boudoir photo shoot scene, as well as his pedicure scene with his octogenarian friends. Both scenes were hilarious and really highlighted his playful and sweet sides. But while he might be a prankster who likes his skin to be as soft as a baby’s bottom, he’s strong and smart enough to take care of what’s his. He’s been looking after his little brother since he was seventeen, and when Ash was being harassed by an ex, Braht came up with ways to help keep her safe. Together, their banter was always witty and fun.

MAN CARD is told in dual POVs and while it is part of the Man Hands series, it can be read as a stand-alone. We did see a little of the previous couple, Brynn and Tom, and it was nice to see how they were doing and what was new with them. I’m assuming—and hoping—Sadie will get her own book next, given that her husband is a dick who doesn’t deserve her. MAN CARD comes with a sweet and humorous epilogue that was oh so Braht and Ash, and just perfect.

Man Card (Man Hands # 2)

My Rating:

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Man Hands Series

Stubborn as a Mule (Sex and Sweet Tea # 2)

By Juliette Poe

Synopsis

Down in Whynot, NC, there are three things that hold true: 1) life moves just a little bit slower, 2) family means everything, and 3) you don’t mess with history.

When his family decides to sell a home that’s been part of their history for over a century, Lowe Mancinkus is madder than a hornet. To add insult to injury, the woman who purchased it is some fancy pants, city girl looking to fix it up and sell it off. Doesn’t matter that she’s sexy as hell or that just being near her gets his blood racing like never before. That home belongs to his family, or at least it did until she came to town.

Well that just won’t do, now will it?

From the moment that she laid eyes on the historical home in rural North Carolina, Melinda Rothschild knew Mainer House was something special. The perfect escape from life in New York City, Melinda signed the papers and set to work restoring the house to its natural beauty. That is until an angry Lowe showed up on her doorstep one day. With a scowl on his handsome, chiseled face. And a shotgun in his strong, muscular arms.

Is it getting hot in here?

Melinda’s about to get a lesson on life in the south, but Lowe is about to learn a lesson of his own – this city girl doesn’t back down from a fight.

Review

I wasn’t sure if I wanted to read STUBBORN AS A MULE, because I knew it was going to be about Lowe and I really disliked him in the previous book. He was rude, bitter and angry, and I just couldn’t see him redeeming himself. Well, it doesn’t happen very often, but I’m happy to say that I was wrong. Very wrong. Once you get inside his head and hear why he was so upset, it is very easy to understand and forgive his behavior. I ended up liking him a lot, especially his sense of humor.

I can’t say much about Melinda, other than the town (including Lowe) judges her a little unfairly simply because she’s an outsider with money. She can be just as stubborn as Lowe, which was why their relationship was so volatile in the beginning. Despite their rocky start, they were both able to quickly calm down and act like grown ups, and I liked watching their affection for each other grow. I loved Morris D—Melinda’s gay, drag queen best friend—and the pranks between him and Lowe were hilarious.

STUBBORN AS A MULE is a very quick and enjoyable read, and I loved how the first chapter really drew me into the story and the battle between Lowe and Melinda. If you’re looking for a steamy read, you won’t find it here because all the action happens behind closed doors. My only complaint is that the conflict towards the end was easily predicted at the halfway mark, so I spent the rest of the book hoping to be surprised, but ultimately not.

STUBBORN AS A MULE is told not just in Lowe’s and Melinda’s POV, but also in the POVs of several of Whynot’s residents, which gives a little extra kick to the story. While it’s part of a series, it can be read as a stand-alone as it comes with a HEA for Lowe and Melinda. I’m looking forward to reading BARKING UP THE WRONG TREE, the next book in the Sex and Sweet Tea series.